AQUON
The Challenge
Water quality is no trivial matter. For nine water boards and irrigation districts in the central and southern Netherlands, AQUON’s testing forms the foundation for healthy drinking water, safe swimming water, and sustainable water management. More than 1,500,000 analysis results and 100,000 samples per year. Every season, the question arose whether all samples and results could be processed in a timely manner. Measurement requests were handled via complex, error-prone PIM sheets: time-consuming, manual, and difficult to verify. There had to be a more efficient way.
The Solution
We developed a custom Order Management System (OMS) that digitises and optimises the entire request workflow. Clients submit measurement requests through a user-friendly web portal. The system flags duplicate requests, checks for completeness, and imports approved requests directly into AQUON’s primary system. It is integrated with the in-house Laboratory Management System (LMS) and Asset Management System (AMS).
Good water isn’t a given. Reliable data is
Water testing protects public health, sustains ecosystems, and provides the hard data that water authorities need to formulate policy and comply with legislation. The OMS ensures that this data is reliable, complete, and available on time.
From chaos to structured, optimised requests
Every research season begins with a measurement request. Which locations? Which analyses? What frequency? Previously, this was handled using complex spreadsheets that were filled out, checked, and forwarded by multiple people. It was error-prone, time-consuming, and difficult to scale. The OMS completely replaces that process. Sampling points, items, and dates are selected in an intuitive web application. Existing requests can be easily copied and modified. Excel files can be uploaded directly in the required format. The result: less manual work, fewer errors, fewer duplicate requests, and significant cost savings for both AQUON and the water authorities.
Efficiency that extends throughout the entire chain
An optimised request process is more than just an administrative improvement. It is the foundation for reliable laboratory scheduling, efficient sampling, and timely reporting to regulators and policymakers.
The OMS is fully integrated with AQUON’s LMS and AMS. Requests are automatically checked for completeness and entered into the primary system. Transparency for the client, control for AQUON. With more than 75,000 sampling locations and 2,400 analyses in the system, the scale of the operation is immediately apparent. Large, yet manageable.
From chaos to process
The PIM sheets have been replaced by an automated web portal. Sampling requests are submitted in a structured manner, checked for duplicates, and immediately imported into the primary system. Less manual work, fewer errors, and more capacity for the work that really matters.
Demonstrable cost savings and efficiency
The OMS has led to greater efficiency, more transparency, and higher-quality requests. For AQUON, this means direct cost savings. For the water authorities, it means more reliable data and faster turnaround times.
Integrated throughout the entire chain
The system is linked to the in-house LMS and AMS. Requests, sampling, analyses and results are visible and traceable within a single system. From the initial request to the analysis results: the chain is seamless.
Processes that don’t scale cost more than you think. Let’s see what can be improved.
